Orchestral pedal-harp



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. G. W. ELLSWORTH.

ORGHESTRAL PEDAL HARP.

No. 471,470. Patented Mar. 22, 1892.

ATTORNEYS (No Model.) W. 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

ORCHESTRAL PEDAL HARP. No. 471,470. Patented Mar; 22, 1892.

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' or top of the sound-boxD the strings E, num- UNITED STATES PATENTOEEIcE.

GEORGE W. ELLSXVORTH, OF BOWLING GREEN, OHIO.

ORCHESTRAL PEDAL-HARP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,470, dated March22, 1892.

Application filed November '7, 1891. Serial No. 411,157. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that I, GEORGE W. ELLSWORTH, of Bowling Green, in the countyof \Vood and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved OrchestralPedal-Harp, to be known as the Harmony-Harp, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved orchestralpedal-harp simple and durable in construction and arranged and tuned insuch a manner as to give the player command and ready and easy executionof the chords of harmony in all keys.

The invention consists of two series of connected auxiliary bridgesadapted to be thrown in engagement with the strings; and it furtherconsists of a pedal mechanism for independently actuating said series ofconnected auxiliary bridges.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details andcombinations of the same, as will be hereinafter fully described, andthen pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figurel is a side elevation of the improvement with parts in section.Fig. 2 is an end view of the base of the harp. Fig. 3 is an enlargedface view of one of the auxiliary bridges. Fig. 4. is an edge view ofthe same. Fig. 5 is an enlarged face view of one of the adjustablestationarybridges. Fig. 6 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 7 is a staffor stave, the notes upon which show the musical notation or relativepitch of the strings when they vibrate free of the auxiliary bridgesfrom the ordinary bridge above. The numbers under the notes correspondto the number of the strings, as shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 8 is the samewhen the pedals are down and the auxiliary bridges are thrown inengagement with the strings.

The harmony-harp is provided with a suitably-constructed base-block A,on the front end of which is secured a column B,connected by the neck orscroll O with the sound-box D, extending to the top of the base A. Fromthe scroll or neck 0 extend to the sound-board bored, consecutively,from 1 to 26, and of which the strings 1 to 12, inclusive, are thetreblestrings, and the remaining strings 13 to 26, inclusive, thebass-strings. Each string is wound at its upper end on a tuning-pin F,and then extends downward overabridge G, held adj ustably on the scrollor neck 0. The lower end of each string is fastened in the ordinarymanner by being passed through a hole in the center strip of thesound-board, knotted under the sound-board, and held firmly in a gaincut in the upper side of the hole by the pin H.

Between the bridges G and the pin H is arranged for each bass-string anauxiliary bridge I, made in the shape of an arm mounted to swing andprovided with two pins 1 and 1 between which passesthe respectivebassstring, and which when the arm is turned engages the said string, soas to form an auxiliary bridge, thereby shortening the string andraising its pitch one semitone.

It is understood that the respective auxiliary bridge I is located theproper distance below the stationary bridge G to produce theabove-mentioned result when the pins I and I engage the string. \Vhenthe auxiliary bridge is in the position it occupies when the pedal isup, as shown in Fig. l, the pins 1' and I stand on opposite sides of thestring without engaging it, so that the latter vibrates from thestationary bridge G to its pin H and gives the pitch shown in Fig. 7.

Each auxiliary bridge I is pivoted in the middle between the pins 1 andI at I to the neck or scroll, the free end of the arm forming theauxiliary bridge being pivotally connected by a link J, extending-underall the bass-strings and connecting with the several auxiliary bridgesbelonging to the bassstrings. Thus when the link J is shifted all thebass-strings are simultaneously engaged by their respective auxiliarybridges I, thus simultaneously raising the pitch of the strings onesemitone.. The end link J nearest the column B is pivotally connectedwith a lever K, fulcrumed in the column B and having its inner endpivotally connected with a rod L, extending downward through the columnto pivotally connect with a bolt L, passing through the left or basspedal N, extending in the base A and projecting at the rear end of thesame through a slot, as shown in Fig. 2, having a gain cut in its side,in which to secure the pedal in a depressed position when desirable, andthereby bringing the same under control of the performers foot.

Each treble-string is provided with an auxiliary bridge 0, similar inconstruction to the auxiliary bridge I above described, the severalauxiliary bridges for the treble-strings being pivotally connected witha link P, extending under all the strings along the neck or scrollO tofinally connect with a lever Q similar to the lever K and pivotallyconnected by a rod R with a bolt R, attached to the right or treblepedal (not shown) arranged alongside the pedal N in the base A, alsounder the control of the'performer. As shown in the drawings, the linksJ and P are preferably made in sections pivotallyconnected with eachother. I V y In order to secure a return movement of the auxiliarybridges when the pedals are released from the gain to the position shownin- Fig. 1, springs T and T are connected with the links J and P,respectively, as shown, or may be coiled springs within the scrollfastened to a shaft or spindle, carrying on one end the last auxiliarybridge in the train and on its opposite end a ratchet for adjusting thestrength of the spring to the friction of the mechanism.

When the performer desires to change the strings from sharp to flat keysor for executing augmented, diminished, or other unusual chords, hedepresses the pedal or pedals with his foot, so thata pull is exerted onthe rod or rods L R, and the levers K or Q are actuated, the outer endof the latter swinging upward, thus exerting an upward pull on the linkor links J or P, thereby swinging the auxiliary bridges into thepositionshown in Fig. 3. As soon as the pedals are released the springsT or T will return the mechanism to the position-shown in Fig. 1.

In executing music it will be observed that if the second string G beplayed with the thumb of the right hand, the third string D with thefirst finger, the sixth string B with the third, to which is added thefourteenth string, middle bass G with the thumb of the left hand, andthe twenty-first string grave bass G withthe second finger the fulltonic chord in the key of G major willbe produced, written Now if eachfinger of each hand be moved up one 'string, so that the right-handthumb strikes the first string or treble O the chord produced will bethe subdominant in the key of G, written and if instead of ascending onestring I descend with. the right-hand thumb to the third string, lefthand same, I have the dominant in G,

thus placingin the simplest manner and within the easiest scope ofexecution the three fundamental chords of harmony, to which may be addedthe next most used chord in the same key by simply descending with bothhands one string below the dominant. Now if I return to the dominantchord with the right hand, and instead of playing the third string withthe first finger strike the fifth string, andwith the left hand take theseventeenth string E, and the twenty-fourth, its octave, I have thetonic cord of E minor relativeto G major,

This chord maybe found with equal facility IIO in all keys when thetreble-pedal is in use by releasing the pedal and taking the subdominantbass as above. Now by descending toward the column one string at a timethe tonic-chord in all the sharp-keys D, A, E, B, and Ffl are found,consecutively, with their dominants, subdominants, and relative minorsalways in the same relative position, as described in detail in the keyof G, though at and after Fyf minor the left pedal will be required inthe minor keys. If both pedals be now set, the strings that open gavethe key of B five sharps will give the key of O, and by ascending onestring at a time away from the column the tonic chords of the keys of O,F, B" E, and D, respectively, will occur with their contiguousdominants, subdominants, and relative minors the same as in thesharpkeys, thus completing the circuit of all the keys of music.

It will be seen that this mechanism is very simple, cheap inconstruction, and less liable to get out of order than the mechanism ofthe other pedal-harps. It will further be seen that it is far superiorto a single-action pedalharp, as it has all the keys contained in musicand it is easier to master than the keyboard of a piano. It will furtherbe seen that it requires less study and practice than would be necessaryto fix in the mind of the student the use of the six pedals on theordinary harp and transposition of the scale, and he will be thoroughlyfamiliar with all the keys on the harmony-harp. The educated musicianwill be able to arrange orchestral parts and give the harp its properplace as one of the most legitimate orchestral instruments, a place fromwhich it has heretofore been excluded solely on account of the greatdifliculties met with in its practical use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. An orchestral pedal-harp, stringed as described,tuned by fourths, and provided with a set of connected bridges adaptedto be thrown in engagement with a set of strings, substantially asdescribed.

2. An orchestral pedal-harp, stringed as described, tuned by fourths,and provided with a set of connected bridges adapted to be thrownsimultaneously in engagement with the set of bass-strings and a secondset of connected bridges adapted to be thrown simultaneously inengagement with the treblestrings to raise the tone of the strings onesemitone, substantially as described.

3. In an orchestral pedal-harp, stringed as described and tuned byfourths, the combination, with a set of connected bridges adapted toengage a set of bass or a set of treble strings, of a pedal mechanismfor actuating simultaneously the set of connected bridges, substantiallyas described.

4. In an orchestral pedahharp, stringed as described and tuned byfourths, the combination, with two sets of connected bridges for thebass and treble strings, of two independent pedal mechanisms connectedwith the said sets of connected bridges, substantially as described.

5. In an orchestral pedal-harp, stringed as described and tuned byfourths, the combination, with two sets of connected bridges for thebass and treble strings, of two independent pedal mechanisms connectedwith the said sets of connected bridges, and means for operating thesets of connected bridges and restoring them to their normal position,substantially as described.

6. In an orchestral pedal-harp, stringed as described and tuned byfourths, the combination, with two sets of connected bridges for thebass and treble strings, of two independent pedal mechanisms connectedwith the said sets of connected bridges, and intermediate mechanism forconnectingthe pedal mechanisms with the sets of bridges, substantiallyas described.

7. In an orchestralpedal-harp, stringed as described and tuned byfourths, an auxiliary bridge formed of a pivoted arm and provided withtwo pins arranged on opposite sides of the pivot of the arm and adaptedto engage opposite sides of a string, substantially as described.

GEO. W. ELLSlVORTl-I. lVitnes ses:

A. E. BOUGHTON, R. V. SLAUSON.

